The Brooklyn Bridge

Ah, the Pirouette Club dance recital. Toddlers and tutus and tantrums, oh my!  Semi-annual events give me a that consistent, nostalgic tool to string my days together and reflect on changes and blessings. Today, at this dance recital, I am engaged to the man of my daydreams and evening prayers, Jon. At the last dance recital, we had been dating for a whopping three days! At the recital before that, we were both missionaries in Matsumoto, Japan. And at the recital before that, we hadn't even met yet. I wonder how if God measures His time. I suppose it's all one eternal round for Him! I am grateful for the piece of that He has given me to have a body and a fantastic family and meet Jon and learn the mysteries of His universe. I am also grateful He gave me a mom to teach me to dance.

Book Review! The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Phillipp Sendker An enchanting romantic story, starring a Burmese handicapped couple, discovered by his daughter and  told by an onlooker. The writing style is scrumptious and I tip my hat to the translator. I give it an A and recommend it for a hearty vacation read.

Returning missionaries compare going home from the field to death, which is rather dramatic. We have built this new life, and sometimes a new person based on that little white book and big-deal of a blue book. We are on a now-familiar, stringent 16-hour work schedule and most of us have come to really enjoy it. We are blessed with plenty of time to study the gospel and many opportunities to bear testimony. You are doing all that one day, and then tomorrow comes and you step off an airplane into another world, different from the new environment and loved ones you have grown in and close to. It's all snatched away at once. It's kind of like...going on a mission in the first place! Ahahaha, everything is an interesting eternal round. I didn't quite feel like I died  coming home, but it was very strange. The mission seems like a short, wonderful, weird dream I had.  The good news is, it was real! Real, just like real life; the mission was exciting, beautiful, very diffi...

If they published a newspaper for each day of the week, here's what they headlines would say! But I'm not sure, because I don't read the newspaper, because I'm a missionary. Book of Mormon for days. Like. Every day. Monday: Sisters Rejected Even Harder Whilst Trying Out New Family History Approach But Eventually Finds Golden Brazilian Family To Teach Tuesday: Less Active Member Stands Mid-Lesson and Declares "We Are Going to the Culture Festival!" Wednesday:  Investigator Makes Major Breakthrough With Holy Ghost-Feeling Experience Thursday: True Church of Christ Restored By Joseph Smith and Sisters Given Opportunity to Testify About it To Amazing Recent Converts Friday:  Brazilian Member Requests Sister Brewer Cook Six Large Steaks 'American Style;' Sister Brewer Has Never Made Steak Saturday: Japanese Family Serves Missionaries Hamburgers Standing 30 Centimeters High Sunday: 85-year-old Woman Sisters Spoke To On The Side...

Hello Kind Readers! How was your week? My favorite moment this week was yesterday! A great member invited us to her home up in Toyokawa for dinner. SURPRISE. No authentic crazy Japanese foods ladies, she MADE tortillas and we had slammin soft tacos! Her non-member mother happened to be there, and she had a lot of great questions about Christianity. It wasn't too crazy, but we were able to do some simple, direct testifying about the savior and it felt SO good! The spirit of God, like a fire is burning here in the field because He LIVES! I remembered in my past life that I did a lot of acting and theatre and stuff. Some skills I learned there have been rather useful here in the field! Sometimes the play you're in is lots rainbow sunshine and happy scenes and sometimes it's tragic or boring. Usually you just have to act like you have your act together. However, I think acting isn't about pretending to be what you're not, it's about creating the ...

Dearest Mom, Dad, Katelyn, and Eavesdroppers, Hey it's me! Sister Brewer in the Japan Nagoya Mission. Currently stationed in Toyohashi city, working happily but you haven't heard much about it recently, sorry! We have been delightfully busy, and sometimes even busy with the things we want to be busy with. We had lessons this week! In Japan: We've been teaching English/Gospel lessons to a sweet, spunky woman who loves the church but doesn't want to join it. You know, which we've heard a couple of times. She's really nice but has been pretty closed off. In this weeks lesson, Suleman and I were trying really hard to decide what she needed. It's all the same as other machine stories that you've heard from me and other missionaries… We prayed really hard, tried to feel the spirit, and felt it! I taught the lesson and it wasn't perfect but it went really well. We were able to feel the spirit and she opened up a little bit more. Little by ...

And an unfortunate rhyme scheme. Love, Brewer Shimai This day has been busy So quickly I'll write Because I'm to dizzy To have a keyboard fight Tuesday was quick as sneeze Silmara's first lesson was great It was all in Portuguese, But the Spirit? You don't need to Translate . Wednesday NO ONE was home But at night we had English Class Some of those students (some) Really have sass. Thursday my comp and I exchanged Sister Owada came with me There's only the kindest people Here in Toyohashi Friday I gave up on Rhyming We had a nice ZTM Could have been better But I'm grateful for each of them. Saturday was DELICIOUS We made, like, so much mochi We met a new investigator And that was like YOSHI!! And Sunday was good too. I love being a senkyoushi! And for this brand new Toshi, Let us remember our Savior Who did us the grandest favor. I sure love you! And God does, too. ブルーワ姉妹

This week we had a member appointment EVERY SINGLE DAY! Can you even imagine? We had a great time teaching practice lessons to them, it was a really good chance for me and sister Lima to get some good practice teaching with each other. Toyohashi Ward is full of absolutely incredible people, great testimonies, interesting stories, superb cooking skills, and generous hearts. On Sunday the Bishop and his wife brought us muffins from their recent trip to COSTCO! Oh man, I don't know about yours, but my breakfast was stellar. We were blessed to meet and teach some sensational children in the families this week. When we are around the Japanese kids, my heart beings to play this beautiful, simple, cheery melody with a piano and harps and the cello and other happy instruments. Then the whole things gets very warm and kind of smiles inside my chest. I believe we call that the Holy Ghost. I'm very grateful for the gift thereof, and the proper priesthood authority in my...